Insulated staple



M. scHoRR INSULATED STAPLE lFiled June 4, 1954 L M I I gmc/Wto@ MAX SCHORR Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement in insulating supports for electric wiring.

It is one of the objects o! the invention to provide an improved form of insulated support for 5 electric wiring and' particularly where there are two adjacent wires. n y

Another object of the invention is to provide an insulated staplewherein two wires are separated and insulated from each other.

D A still further object of the invention is to provide a piece of insulating material which is adapted to be tacked in position to retain two wires in spaced and insulated relationship.

A still further object of the invention is to 5 provide in an. insulated tack a spacing member for the wires being held.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following descrlption is considered in connection with the l accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a staple equipped with the improved form of insulating member.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1 on a somewhat reduoed scale.

i Fig.3isatopp1anviewofamodiedformof tack or staple which may be used with the insulating member.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of the insulating material so that either two or three wires may be I held in spaced relationship.

In positioning wires about residences and buildings it is desirable to attach the wiring to the xtures in such a manner that it will be securely positioned and the wires insulated so that no short circuiting will occur. Devices of this type have been known heretofore, and the present invention relates to a staple and insulator somewhat similar to that shown in the patent to Blake, No. 662,587, November 27, 1900. An enlarged view of the invention is seen in Fig. 1 wherein a staple of ordinary construction is shown at 2 and is arranged to receive the insulating member 3. The novelty in the present invention particularly resides in the formation i of this insulating member which may be made up of suitable paper, liber, rubber or other material which can be formed and used to advantage.

The insulating member 3 is shown as being made up of a strip oi' somewhat greater width I than the staple 2 as best seen in Fig. 2. The end 4 of this material is bentas at 5 and perforated at 8 and 1 to receive the staple. The opposite end 8 is also bent as at il and perforated as at I and I I to receive the opposite leg of the staple i 2. Between the bent portions and 9, however,

a bridge I2 is formed which is separated into two wire receiving areas I3 and I4 by the formation of the spacer or tongue I5. This tongue I5 projects downwardly substantially at the center of the arch I2, as best seen in Fig. l, and when the staple is driven in position this tongue lI5 will pass between the two wires which are being fixed in position so that one wire is received in each of the areas I3 and I4.

It is the usual practice that the wiring being positioned is twisted or intertwined so that the tongue I5 may be readily passed between the two wires. The provision of the tongue I5 is of advantage because if there is any movement of the wires beneath the staple, then two wires will be held in spaced relationship and there can be no contact of the wires because of their being conned beneath the staple and the insulator. It is to be understood that the tongue I5 may be of any desired length so that it will project between the wires being retained and serve as a spacer or insulator therefor.

Fig. 3 shows a somewhat different form of staple 2 wherein an enlarged fiat head 20 has been shown. 'Ihis serves as an additional protection to the insulating material and the wiring and facilitates the positioning of the staple. 'I'his type of staple may be used in connection with upholstering, or in other suitable locations.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of the insulating member 3 wherein the ends 22 and 23 terminate adjacent each other the same as in the Fig. 1 form of the invention, but in this form the insulating member will be somewhat stiffer possibly than in the Fig. 1 form of the invention, so that the two outstanding ears or wire retaining portions 26 and 21 are provided. These ears are formed by the curvature 28 of the insulating material before it passes over the legs of the staple 29. A single arch 30 is provided between the legs of the staple.

With this Fig, 4 form of the invention a wire may be received by each of the ears 26 and 2'I so that these two wires will be spaced apart a considerable distance, or if desired three or four wires may be retained by the staple two ears being positioned in the center and one on each side of the staple.

It is intended that the insulating material may be made up and perforated so that it may be i readily inserted .over the staples or it may be made up to be punched by the staple at the time of driving. The preferred form, however, is to form the staple and insulating material as a unit to be marketed. The insulating maf terial will preferably have considerable stiffness so that it will retain its form and prevent curving of the wire o1' cutting of the insulation on the outside of the wire.

What is claimed is:

l. An insulated two prong staple including a staple member, an insulating piece bent and perforated to be received on the prongs of said staple whereby a plurality of wires may be held in xed position by said piece and within said staple, and a downwardly extending tongue on said insulating piece positioned to project between the wires being xed, to separate the wires and insulate them from each other.

2. An insulated staple having two legs for xing wires in position and including a strip of insulating material folded and passed over both the legs of the staple, and a pair of wire receiving areas formed in said strip intermediate the staple legs, said areas being separated by an insulating tongue.

3. A strip of insulating material perforated to receive the spaced legs of a staple, a tongue as part of said strip folded to be projected between two adjacent wires intermediate the legs to space and insulate the wires from each other.

4. An insulating piece for use with staples including a plurality of portions bent to receive the wires to be iixed in position, and a tongue portion also bent to project between the fixed wires and between said portions, said portions being perforated to receive a staple.

5. An upholstering insulating staple including an enlarged head on the staple, spaced legs extending from the head, an insulating piece carried by the staple legs beneath said head, and a tongue formed of a part of said piece to separate adjacent wires which may be held by the staple.

6. An insulating member for use with a staple in positioning wires including a strip of insulating material bent upon itself to form three -spaced downwardly projecting tongues, the two outer tongues being perforated to receive the staple legs, and the center tongue being adapted to space adjacent wires between the staple legs,

7. A device of the character described including a two prong staple, a band of insulating material curved and applied to the prongs of said staple to insulate the staple from the article being positioned, said band including a strip of insulating material bent back upon itself, the ends of said material being positioned between said prongs and beneath said head, loops formed in said band and pertorations in each of said loops to receive the prongs of said staple, and a tongue formed intermediate said loops to project between the articles being positioned to separate said articles.

' MAX SCHORR. 

